Creamy Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

Mushrooms – 1 lb, sliced (button and baby bellas)
Shallots – 2, sliced
Butter – 2 tbsp
Garlic – 1 Tbsp, finely chopped
Salt – 1/2 tsp or to taste
Clove Powder – 1/4 tsp
Italian Seasoning – 1 tsp
Lemon Juice – 1 to 2 tsp (or to taste)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 2 Tbsp
All-Purpose Flour (Maida) – 3 Tbsp
Vegetable or Chicken Stock – 7 cups
All-Purpose Flour (Maida) – 2 Tbsp
Water – 1/4 cup
Red Chili Flakes – to taste (optional)
Half and Half/Milk – to taste
Black Pepper – to taste


Method:

1. In a wide skillet, melt Butter.
2. Add Shallots and allow them to lightly brown.
3. Add Mushrooms and saute them until moisture evaporates.
4. Add Garlic, Salt, Clove Powder and Italian Seasoning. Saute until Mushrooms lightly caramelize.
5. Turn off stove, add Lemon Juice and mix through. Remove Mushrooms into a separate bowl or plate.
6. In the same pan, heat Olive Oil on low heat.
7. Add All-Purpose Flour and keep mixing until flour changes color to light pink.
8. Slowly add Broth and keep whisking to ensure that lumps do not form. In case lumps form, you can use an immersion blender to break them down.
9. Bring to a boil and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
10. In a small bowl, mix 2 Tbsp of All-Purpose Flour with 1/4 Cold Water (make sure there are no lumps).
11. Slowly add the mixture into the broth while continuously mixing. Bring to a boil.
10. Add sauteed Mushrooms back into the broth and add Crushed Red Chili Flakes. Bring to a boil.
11. Add Half and Half to achieve desired richness.
12. Adjust salt, lemon juice and add Black Pepper to taste.

Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients:
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Garlic – 1 tsp, minced
Ginger – 1 tsp, minced
Frozen Peas & Carrots – 1/2 cup
Frozen Corn – 1/4 cup
Green Beans – 1/4 cup, cut at an angle
Celery – 1/4 cup, thinly sliced
Cauliflower – 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Cabbage – 1/2 cup, thinly sliced
Mushroom – 1 large, thinly sliced
Vegetable Broth/Stock – 4 cups
Egg Noodles – 1 cup
Soy Sauce – to taste
Red Chili Sauce – to taste
Black Pepper – to taste
Vinegar – 1 Tbsp, or to taste
Corn Starch – 1 Tbsp, mixed with a little cold water
Egg – 1, well beaten (optional)
Spring/Green Onions – 2, chopped at an angle

Method:
1. Heat Oil in a medium sized pot.
2. Add Ginger and Garlic and saute for 30 seconds or so.
3. Add Corn, Green Beans, Peas & Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery and Cabbage – saute for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add Vegetable Broth, Salt, Black Pepper and Egg Noodles.
5. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until Egg Noodles are tender but not overcooked.
6. Add Mushrooms, 1/2 of the green onions, Chili Sauce, Soy Sauce and Vinegar – bring to a boil.
7. Mix 2-3 Tbsp water with the Corn Starch and add it to the soup – bring to a boil.
8. Slowly add in beaten Egg and keep stirring to form strands – cook for 1-2 minutes.
9. Garnish with Spring Onions and serve hot!
10.Serves 4.

Spinach Dosa

Ingredients

Brown rice: 1 1/2 cups
Chana dal, Tuvar dal, Moong dal and Urad dal (combined) : 1 cup
Curry leaves: 5
Jeera 1tsp
Dry red chillies: As per taste(optional can be made without them too)
Spinach : 1/2 cup, chopped
Onion: 1/4 cup, finely chopped
Salt: to taste


Method:
Soak rice and dals seperately for 4 hours. Grind rice and spinach and make a smooth batter. Coarse grind the dals along with curry leaves, jeera and dry red chillies. Mix dals, finely chopped onion to the rice batter. Then make dosas (pan cakes) out of it.